Day-night prism display device

ABSTRACT

AN INDICATING DEVICE INCLUDING AN OPEN-ENDED OUTER HOUSING WITH LIGHT PRODUCING MEANS WITHIN THE HOUSING. A CAP IS AXIALLY MOVABLE WITHIN THE HOUSING AND COVERS THE LIGHT PRODUCING MEANS. THERE ARE INDICIA BANDS ALONG THE INNER SIDES OF THE HOUSING AND A REFLECTING SURFACE ADJACENT EACH OF THE INDICIA BANDS FOR DIRECTING INTERIOR LIGHT TO THE INDICIA. THE MOVABLE CAP IS TRANSPARENT AND INCLUDES PRISM AREAS. THE INDICIA BANDS ARE ILLUMINATED BOTH FROM THE INTERIOR LIGHT SOURCE AND FROM AMBINET LIGHT PASSING   THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT CAP. IN ONE POSITION OF THE CAP THE INDICIA BANDS WILL BE VISIBLE AT THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAP WHICH IS THE IMAGE SURFACE OF THE PRISM AREA. IN THE SECOND POSITION OF THE CAP. IN WHICH IT IS POSITIONED AWAY FROM THE INDICIA BANDS, THERE WILL BE NO INDICIA DIPLAYED AT THE CAP OUTER SURFACE.

Oct. 5, 1971 Filed March 17, 1970 if Z4 J. C. ALEXANDER ET AL wwwDAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l f INH@ IIII'IIIIII Imm lIl!"i F Oct. 5, i971 J. @ALEXANDER ETAL 3,60%@

DAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 17, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2555m@ @riff/MM@ United States Patent Oitce 3,609,899 Patented Oct. 5,1971 3,609,899 DAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE .lames C. Alexander,Crystal Lake, Ill., and Peter J. Van Benschoten, Rancho Santa Fe,Calif., assignors to Oak Electro/Netics Corp., Crystal Lake, Ill.

Filed Mar. 17, 1970, Ser. No. 20,211 Int. Cl. G09f 3/00 U.S. Cl. 40-33110 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An indicating device including anopen-ended outer housing with light producing means within the housing.A cap is axially movable within the housing and covers the lightproducing means. There are indicia bands along the inner sides of thehousing and a reflecting surface adjacent each of the indicia bands fordirecting interior light to the indicia. The movable cap is transparentand includes prism areas. The indicia bands are illuminated both fromthe interior light source and from ambient light passing through thetransparent cap. In one position of the cap the indicia bands will bevisible at the exterior of the cap which is the image surface of theprism area. In the second position of the cap, in which it is positionedaway from the indicia bands, there will be no indicia display at the capouter surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to indicatingdevices and in particular to indicating devices utilizing a prism havingan object surface, an image surface and a reflecting surface.

A primary purpose of the present invention is a prism type of indicatingdevice in which indicia is illuminated both by interior light, forexample from an electrical light source, and from exterior ambientlight.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in whichindicia in the form of colored bands is utilized to indicate theposition of a switch, solenoid or the like.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in whichdifferent bands of indicia, illuminated both interiorly and exteriorly,are utilized to show the condition of an operating member.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in whichindicia in the form of a colored band is illuminated from an interiorlight source and from exterior ambient light, with the interior lightbeing directed by a reflecting surface to the indicia band, and with theexterior ambient light being directed by a second reflecting surface tothe indicia band.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings andclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrateddiagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of indicating device describedherein,

FIG. 2 is a section along plane 2 2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a section, similar to FIG. 2, but showing the indicatingdevice in a second position, and

FIG. 4 is a section, similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modified form ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention utilizesprisms formed of a transparent material to provide an indication of thecondition of a switch, solenoid or other electrical or mechanicaloperating device. Such prisms, which may be made of a variety oftransparent plastics, have an object surface, an image surface and areflecting surface. The reflecting surface may be a highly polishedsurface formed of the transparent plastic material, or it may besilvered or otherwise made to have a high degree of reflection.

The structure shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes an outer housing,indicated generally at 10, formed of side walls 12, 14, 16 and 18. Thehousing 10 has an open end 20 and the bottom of the housing may beclosed by a plate or the like 22 which may, for example, be aninstrument panel or the like.

The housing walls may preferably be formed of an opaque plasticmaterial, or any other material which will not pass light. Walls 12 and14 are identical and only one will be described in detail. Consideringwall 12, there is a groove indicated at 24 within which is mounted areflector plate 26. The reflector plate 26 has a longitudinal slot 27,the upper surface of which is slanted, as at 28, to form a reflectingsurface. Indicia, in the form of a band of colored tape or the likeindicated at 30, may either be attached to the exterior `wall of thereflector plate or to an interior wall of the groove 24. In eitherevent, the indicia 30 is so positioned that it is accessible to lightcoming in through the transparent reflector plate 26.

Mounted within the housing 10 is a light 32 which is movable with apush-button switch plunger 34. The pushbutton plunger 34 is in the inposition in FIG. 2, and in the out position in FIG. 3.

A cap indicated generally at 3S, generally the same in size and shape asthe opening 20 in the housing, is movable within the housing, generallyon the housing axis. The cap has a transparent outer portion 36 with apair of reflecting surfaces 38 and 40. Reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 arepart of a pair of prisms, having object surfaces 42 and 44 and imagesurfaces 46 and 48 which are co-planar with the exterior surface of thecap. The cap 35 may include an opaque plastic member 50 which extendsabout light 32 and is keyed to a sleeve 54. The entire cap structure ismovable with the push-button plunger 34. Thus, movement of the cap inand out of the housing 10 will move the light 32 and the opaque member50.

When the cap structure is in the in position of FIG. 2, the indicia 30is visible at the image surfaces 46 and 48. Light from the light source32 will be reflected by the reflecting surface 28 into the reflectorplate 26. Light will be diffused within the reflector plate 26 such thatthe indicia 30` will be illuminated. This illumination will be displayedby reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 at the image surfaces 46 and 48.Ambient light will pass in- Wardly through transparent cap 36 to thereflecting surfaces 38 and 40 and Will also illuminate the indicia 30.Thus in daytime, or in a lighted area situation, the primaryillumination of the indicia 30, to give an indication of switchposition, will be from ambient light. In nighttime, or in a darkenedarea, the same indicia can be illuminated by the light 32, which will beon at all times, but will be the primary source of light in the dark.

In the out position of the cap 35, shown in FIG. 3, there can be noambient light directed to the indicia 30 since it will be reflected ontowalls 12 and 14 by surfaces 38 and 40. No illumination from the light 32will reach the indicia 30 as it -will also be blocked by the opaquemember 50. Thus, in only one position of the cap 3S will the indicia 30-be illuminated. In order for there to be a display of the indicia 30`at the surface of the cap, the reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 forming apart of the two prisms in the cap must be positioned opposite theindicia.

The center section of the cap 36, illustrated particularly in FIG. l,may be used for a suitable legend. Three triangles, indicated `at 56,are illustrated in FIG. l, but this is obviously merely an example ofone possible type of legend display. The legend will always be visiblebecause of the light 32, however, indicia will only be displayed in thestructure of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 when the cap is in the in position,

The structure of FIG. 4 is substantially the same, except that there area pair of indicia bands. The second indicia bands are indicated at 60.There is a second reflector plate 62 having a slanted reilecting surface64. In the structure of FIG. 4, Iwhen the cap is in the out position,there will be an indicia` display at the surface of the cap. In onepractical use of the invention, one color hand may form indicia 30 and asecond color band form indicia 60; In this way one color can indicate anon or an in position of the cap, with the other color indicating an oitor out position of the cap.

As disclosed herein, the light moves with the cap. In some practicalapplications both the light and cap may be stationary and the indicia'may move.

Although the housing structure is shown as generally rectangular,obviously the invention should not be so limited. The housing structuremaybe a cylinder, in which case the indicia bands could extend all theway around or only partially around the cylinder. Other cross sectionalconfigurations are equally satisfactory. There may be indicia only alongone side of the housing instead of on both sides. In other applications,all four sides of the housing may include indicia bands and thus the capwould have an equal number of prisms.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been sho-wn anddescribed herein, it should be realized that there may be manymodifications, alterations and substitutions thereto.

We claim:

1. In an indicating device, an open-ended outer housing, light producingmeans within the housing, a cap axially movable within the housing andhaving substantially the size and shape of the housing open end, areflecting surface on said cap,

indicia positioned along an inner surface of said housing and adjaecntthe path of movement of said cap, a reecting surface in said housingadjacent said indicia and positioned to direct light from said lightproducing means toward said indicia,

said cap being movable between at least two positions,

in one of which said cap reflecting surface is adjacent said indiciawhereby an outer surface of said cap displays said indicia, said indiciabeing illuminated by said light producing means and by such light aspasses inwardly through said cap.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said lightproducing means is movable with said cap.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said cap has atransparent portion.

4. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said capreecting surface is part of a prism having an object surface and animage surface, with the image surface being generally co-planar with anouter surface of the cap, said object surface being positioned adjacentsaid indicia in said one cap position.

5. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said indiciais in the form of a band of color embedded within said housing anddirectly adjacent said housing reiiecting surface.

6. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said cap istransparent, said light producing means being located generallycentrally of said housing, and means for blocking light about said lightproducing means, and positioned to prevent light from the indicia areareaching the cap reflecting surface when the cap is positioned away fromsaid indicia.

7. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said housinghas a plurality of sides, a band of indicia along at least two sides ofsaid housing, -with there being a housing reflecting surface for eachband of indicia.

8. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by and includingsecond indicia positioned along the path of movement of the cap andspaced from said iirst indicia, a second housing reecting surfaceadjacent said second indicia, said cap having two positions, in oneposition said cap rellecting surface being adjacent said rst indicia,and in the second position said cap being adjacent said second indicia.

9. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that said firstindicia and said second indicia are different.

10. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that said lightproducing means is movable with said cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,873 8/1952 Sheidler.200-167 2,616,941 11/1952 Lasko 350l l2 2,847,559 8/1958 Harrington etal 2402 S 3,144,643 8/1964 Anderson 240-1 EI FOREIGN PATENTS 676,4486/1966 Belgium 40-337 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner W. J.CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 40-130 K

